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Through the Wilderness 



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A PAPER READ BEFORE THE 



Ol2io Commanslepy 



LOYAL LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES 



September 3, 1884. 



BY COMPANION 
ASA B. ISHAM, 

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Late First Lieutenant Company F, 7th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry. 



CINCINNATI : 
PETER G. THOMSON, Publisher. 
1884. 



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IN EXCHANGE 

JAN 5 . 1915 



THP^OUGH the WlLDEl^NESS TO UlCHMOHD. 



Tlie cavalr}- of the Army of the Potomac never set out 
upon a campaign in lighter marching" order than that of 1864, 
when it took up the march toward Richmond. One wagon 
to a regiment and two lead horses to each compan}' consti- 
tuted the transportation equipment. It was generally realized 
by the troops that a campaign of unusual severity was before 
them ; hence, every man put as little burden upon himself 
and horse as possible, carrying nothing that he could do 
without. If one had a preference for a blanket, he left 
behind his overcoat ; or, if the overcoat was thought indis- 
pensable, the blanket was thrown out. Cooking utensils were 
commonly reduced to a pint tincup and a half of a canteen, 
which latter, with a stick split at one end for a handle, served 
for a fr3'ing and stewing pan. Yet some, who were likely to 
mourn for " the flesh pots of Egypt " in the wilderness, clung 
fondl}' to a light skillet and a coffee-pot. 

On the 4th of May, 1864, the camps around Culpepper 
Court-house were broken, and the columns were set in motion 
for the Rapidan. Qiiietly the march was conducted ; conver- 
sation was hot indulged in to any great extent, every one 
being apparently occupied by his own reflections. The soil 
moved over had been the scene of many a conflict, to which 
recollection recurred, and a fresh encounter was momentarily 
looked for, where the foe had been so often met. Bivouacking 
for the night at Stony Mountain, the march was resumed at 
3 o'clock upon the morning of the 5th, crossing the Rapidan 
at Elv's Ford. 



(3) 



— 4 — 

Upon reaching the high ground in the vicinity of Chan- 
cellorsville, a number of colored regiments were overtaken, 
the first ever seen by the Army of the Potomac. They had 
tents pitched, arms stacked, and were disporting themselves 
in their bare feet. Their pedal extremities and the army 
brogan did not seem to be exactly natural affinities. Their 
union produced a most uncomfortable chafing of protuber- 
ances, so that, while the colored brother cherished his shoe- 
leather, and suffered the pains of martyrdom with it upon show 
occasions, he much preferred to carry it upon his back during 
the steady plodding of a campaign. To judge from expres- 
sions, these fellows meant '' business." They were verj^ 
anxious to receive information concerning the whereabouts of 
the enemy. They had been earnestly seeking him without 
success. They had an impression that the enemy, apprised 
of their coming, was rapidly getting out of the way, and the}' 
were fearful that the}'^ might not be able to catch up with him. 
It was suggested that we, being mounted, could, perhaps, sur- 
round and head him off, in which case they would come up 
and make short work of him. This we promised to do, to 
their evident delight, and they w6re left in the rear. The 
poor fellows found the "Johnu}- Rebs " many times, often to 
their sorrow, before the campaign was over, and upon some 
occasions, too, they tbund that they turned up when they were 
not being hunted for. 

A halt was made, in the evening, near the slope of the 
high plateau overlooking the wilderness, not a great distance 
in advance of General Grant's headquarters. At 2 o'clock, 
on the evening of the 6th, we were again in the saddle, and 
pressing toward the front by the way of the Furnace Road. 
In the descent from the upper level, a scene long to be re- 
membered was presented to the vision. Fires had been 
lighted up by the sides of the roads, which revealed, by their 
glare, long lines of infantry, cavalry and artiller}-, filling up 
the tortuous ways in all directions, in wavy motion, like the un- 
dulations of some vast serpent. Then, a blast furnace, with 
its accumulated stores of fuel, broke out in grand conflagra- 



— 5 — 

tion, illuminating a vast extent of country by its lurid light. 
The black, impenetrable forest spread out in all directions, 
the central mass of flame, the winding streaks of lire diverg- 
ing therefrom, and here and there disclosing moving, writh- 
ing, sinuous,, slender, long extended forms, — all combined to 
impress upon the mind a preternatural idea of the spectacle, 
as though the demon of destruction was floundering and 
belching out tongues and volumes of flame in the murky 
depths below. Now and then our advance guard would press 
too hastily upon the retiring rear guard of the enemy, when 
the far-oft' rattle of musketry and subdued shouts would be 
borne to the ear, and the undulations in the columns would 
become more marked. But soon we were threading the mazes 
of the wilderness, circling about the hosts of rebellion, which 
the darkness and the woods shut out from sight. Lively fu- 
sillades of musketry, not far removed, halts in readiness far 
action, were of frequent occurrence ; but, with these excep- 
tions, this nights march was not dissimilar to other night 
marches through a forest growth. All such marches are 
attended with such mishaps as falling into "chug-holes," 
stumbling over obstructions, getting caught in the snares of 
log bridges and rough pieces of "corduroy," and running 
foul of overhanging branches, with results usually more an- 
noying than grave, though sometimes serious for horse, or 
rider, or both. The moral nature receives a terrible wrench, 
when, from a half-sleeping, dreaming state, one is suddenly 
precipitated into a mud-hole, hung upon a hmb, or made to 
practice a grand balancing feat b}^ a tumble over some obsta- 
cle m the way. While, doubtless, the cavalry contained 
many " souls made perfect," these accidents seemed only to 
befall the wholly unregenerate, if the expressions uttered 
upon such occasions may be taken in evidence. But such 
incidents banished sleepiness by the lively sallies interchanged 
between the one who had " fallen into the pit " and his com- 
rades, enlivened the spirits, and made refreshing breaks 
to all but the victim, in the monotony of the dull, plodding 
hours. 



Toward morning, 6th of May, a position was taken up 
at the intersection of the Brock Pike and the Furnace Road, 
upon the extreme left of the Union Hne of battle, joining onto 
the 2d (Hancock's) corps. Morning had not long dawned 
when the ball opened, by the driving in of the pickets estab- 
lished upon the pike. The thunder of artillery and the con- 
tinuous, vibrating roll of heavy musketry, heard upon the 
right, told that the infantry was already hard at work. Pass- 
ing out from the woods into an opening, we were brought up 
'' front into line," to arrest the progress of a regiment which 
was falling back, in great confusion, before an onslaught of 
the enem}^ ; the officer's efforts and shouts of '■'■Rally! Rally! 
halt!" and '•'■ Right abdiU, wiikei^V being of none effect. 
With a few expressions of good-natured railery, they were 
halted and reformed. And they went back right gallantl}', 
in splendid form, pushing the enemy before them. 

The battle-ground was a clearing, over a surface slightly 
rolling, including an area of, perhaps, forty acres, surrounded 
by woods upon all sides. On the Confederate side of the field 
were two batteries of light artillery, which were opposed by 
eight pieces of artillery upon our side. The action of that 
day, as far as it pertained to the ist Cavalry Division (Tor- 
bert's) and the enemy in its front, consisted of an artillery 
duel, charges and countercharges of mounted cavalry across 
the held, and lighting dismounted in the woods. Evening 
found us masters of the field, the enemy, under Fitz Hugh 
Lee, having been forced to retire with heavy loss, leaving his 
dead and wounded, and many prisoners, in our hands. 

An episode of the day was a panic in the lead-horse car- 
avan, which had been left upon the side of the road in our 
rear. When the cannon balls and shells began to crash 
through the woods in great abundance, the contrabands and 
skulkers, who were interested in the welfare of the lead horses, 
deemed it incumbent upon themselves to get these beasts of 
burden into safer quarters. They were led off by one named 
Malachi, but more familiarly known as "Bones," a sad-eyed 
contraband, whose bullet-head, not much larger than a pint 



— 7 — 

measure, was surmounted by a coon-skin covering of rare de- 
sign. He was mounted, without saddle or bridle, upon a lame 
animal which went upon three legs, and he steered him b}- 
means of a hickory club, carried in his good right hand. They 
were just getting started when a shell went screaming through 
the tree-tops, right over the cavalcade, and sending down up- 
on it a shower of small twigs. '' Bones" uttered a wild " /iV, 
J//," turned his eyes toward heaven, so that only the whites 
were visible, belabored his poor beast into a run, and, with the 
rest of the procession in close pursuit, struck out for the rear 
of Hancock's corps. This was but rushing from "the frying 
pan into the tire," and they soon turned back, more terror- 
stricken than before, in a mad gallop to their previous loca- 
tion, only to fly ofl' again at the sound of shrieking missiles. 
An officer sent back to look after them found them rushing, 
pell-mell, back and forth, at the top of their speed. So wild 
with aftVight were they that he could exercise no control over 
them, until, giving chase, he unhorsed "Bones" by the lib- 
eral application ot the flat ot a sabre about that , worthy's 
head and shoulders. The leader being thus dethroned, order 
was easily restored, and a refuge found for them beyond the 
line of Are. 

In obedience to orders, we moved back to the furnace to 
camp that night, reaching there sometime after dark. Here 
all the buglers in the command were sent out into the woods, 
to all points of the compass, and in sweet disconcert, they 
blew, and repeated over and over again, all the calls in the 
regulations, except the one for quinine. They bugled for at 
least an hour, and if their wind held out, they may have 
blown all night for all that the deponent knoweth to the con- 
trary. Tired soldiers do not lose any sleep on account oi a 
little serenade like that. This musical demonstration was for 
the sole benefit of the i-ebels, in order to deceive as to the 
force, location and movements of the cavalry ; but had it been 
made more exclusive by surrounding Lee's army with the 
buglers, the impression might have been more decided, and 
the results might, perhaps, have been as astonishing as a horn- 
blowing performance once upon a time at ancient Jericho. 



Daylight of the /th of May found us back again in the 
position of the day before. Early in the forenoon, in a short, 
but sev^ere engagement out on the Brock pike, the ist Michi- 
gan Cavalry drove back the enemy toward Todd's Tavern, 
which was soon after occupied by the 2d Division, under Gen- 
eral Gregg. The remainder of the day was vvhiled away in 
light skirmishing, and excursions to unknown points on the 
infantry lines, where we were formed in readiness for action 
at the edges of open spaces. The infantry, however, proved 
capable of holding its own ; no call was made upon us for as- 
sistance, and we went back to our own particular battle pos- 
session. Here we remained mounted, in line of battle, until 
after dark, before orders were given to dismount and bivouac. 
The stench from decomposing horses, thickly strewn over the 
field, was almost stifling. It seemed nearly strong enough to 
arrest the course of bullets, which were flying about promis- 
cuously in the darkness, since the enemy had again appeared 
on our front, and a lively interchange of leaden compliments 
was in progress between the picket lines, but a short distance 
removed. There was no hunting about for a choice spot upon 
which to rest, but each one nestled closely into the lap of 
motiier earth wherever he was, however much he might enter- 
tain views of more desirable positions. Neither were noses 
turned up at dead animals when they could be felt within arms 
reach. In fact, a snug berth under the lee of a dead horse, 
giving ofl' odors of putrefaction, is not to be despised when 
wild picket firing, at short range, is indulged in upon a dark 
night. Those who found, in the morning, that they had slept 
upon the entrails of disemboweled steeds derived satisfaction 
from the fact that they had enjo3'ed softer beds than their 
companions. 

Daylight of the morning of the 8th brought the revelation 
that the enem}^ had stolen away in the night. We then 
moved over to Todd's Tavern. On the way we were com- 
pelled to shoot some riderless horses, wounded in the legs, 
since they had no notion of being deserted, but persisted in 
crowding into places in the ranks and endeavoring to keep up 



with the column. The neighings of the poor beasts, as they 
were dropped by the wayside, were almost human in their 
})laintiveness. From Todd's Tavern we marched to Silver, 
on the Fredericksburg plank road, where the entire Cavalry- 
Corps was massed, and where we spent the night. 

Thus was our service in the wilderness concluded. Noth- 
ing could be seen be3'ond the little open stretch before us, and, 
for a knowledge of what had transpired about us, we had 
been dependent entirelv upon the sense ot hearing. We 
judged, by the sounds of conflict which we had heard, that a 
great battle had been fought, but we knew no more respecting 
the result than the man in the moon. As there was no enemy 
to molest us, we took it that he had been worsted. We had 
bv'". vague ideas concerning the topograph}' of the country 
about us, and our relative position to the rest of the forces. 
The Furnace was the. central point, to our minds. We knew 
that the road to our rear led back there, but that was about 
all we did know with certainty, since our marches were nearly 
all made at night. We had glimpses of bits of road filled up 
with infantry columns, or with ambulances for the wounded, 
of woods choked with underbrush and fallen timber, and of 
openings covered with a growth of* scrub bushes, and it was 
the predominating idf a, in the line, that the enemy was every- 
where in position at the farther side of such clearings. 

On the morning of the 9th ot May, the Cavalry Corps 
started on a raid to Richmond, around the right flank of Lee's 
armv,the ist brigade of the ist division leaving the advance. 
In moving oft' we passed through the Provisional 9th Corps, 
which was a motley aggregation, consisting of heavy artiller}^ 
regiments, taken from the forts around Washington, Balti- 
more and Fortress Monroe, and pressed into service as infan- 
tr}-, dismounted cavalry regiments, negro troops, and the 
odds and ends of the service. All, except the colored troops, 
were growling and grumbling, declaring that they had never 
enlisted for any such service, and that they would not fight. 
Whenever the}- caught sight of a general ofticer, they set up 
the crv of '^ Hard tack ! Hard tack! Rations'/' The soldiers 



lO — 

in the cavalry columns, riding by ''chaffed" them unmerciful- 
\y. It was said that they could not eat hard tack if it was 
given them. They ought to have soft bread, and butter, ter- 
rapin soup, oysters and custard. Fears were expressed that 
they would catch dreadful colds without their feather beds. 
It was not intended that they should tight ; they were onl}' for 
the "darkies" to pile up for breastworks, etc. There was a 
new regiment, which had never been mounted, called the ist 
New Jersey Hussars. The seams and edges of their jackets 
were trimmed with yellow lace, while the breast was orna- 
mented with parallel stripes of the same material, running 
crosswise, about one inch apart, with loops at the sides and 
centre, surrounding brass buttons. Hence they received the 
name of " Butterflies." " Hello, butterflies," was the saluta- 
tion, "you have got 'em bad." "There is nothing like good 
foot exercise lor the 'yallers.' " The prospects for the corn crop 
were inquired after, and it was suggested that it was not the 
design they should tight as infantry ; they were simply for the 
purpose of scaring the buzzards oiY from the lazy heavy artil- 
lery until the rebels had a chance to wake them up. It is 
but fair to record that the retorts were as numerous and pun- 
gent as the direct thrusts. . They inquired if the clearness of 
our voices was not due to sucking eggs. Our stealing, they 
asserted, did the Confederacy inrinitely more htipn than our 
liji^htini:^. We must have heard a rooster crow to be in such 
haste and spirits. They would bait the buzzards with us it 
we attempted to ride over them when the rebels chased us 
back, etc. This running Are of badinage was not of long 
duration, for we were passing along at the trot and soon part- 
ed company with the malcontents. 

There is nothing particularly exciting or delightful in 
thumping along at a trot in a cavalry column. The clouds of 
dust, sent up by the thousands of hoof-beats, till eyes, nose, 
and air passages, give external surfaces a uniform, dirty gray 
color, and tbrm such an impenetrable veil, that, tor many 
mmutes together, you can not see even your hand before you. 
Apparently, just at the point of impending suflbcation, a 



gentle sigh of wind makes a rift, and a free breath is inspired. 
Dust and horse hairs penetrate everywhere. Working under 
the clothing to the skin, and hxed by the sweat, the sensation 
is as though one was covered by a creeping mass of insects. 
Accumulations occur in the pockets ; the rations come in lor 
their full share, and with tlie bacon, particularly^, so thor- 
oughly do dirt and horse hairs become incorporated, that no 
process of cleansing can remove them. But there is no 
better appetizer than horseback jolting, and little squeamish- 
ness with genuine hunger. A hunk ot dirty, raw bacon, 
with " hard tack," on a campaign, are partaken of with 
keener relish and enjoyment than "a good, square meal," 
when engaged in less arduous duty. 

Shortly after crossing the North Anna River, a train of 
the enemy's ambulances was overhauled. In this capture 
was included a paymaster, with a large quantity of Confed- 
erate money. 'I'his commodity was tree to all troopers who 
wanted it, but was valued so little that most of it was burned 
with the wagon which contained it. Some had, afterward, 
cause to regret that they had not burdened themselves with a 
few thousands ol this rubbish. Flankers were thrown out on 
either side of the column, and, pushing along rapidly, we 
soon overtook and liberated about four hundred ot our in- 
fantry, who had been captured in the wilderness, and were 
on the way to Richmond as prisoners of war. The greater 
part of the Confederate escort was also secured. Among the 
captives thus rescued were many otiicers, trom the rank of 
colonel down. Their jo}' at their release was unbounded. 
They exalted the cavalry above any other arm of the service. 
But we paused not to receive their adulations. The column 
hurried tbrward to Beaver Dam Station, where, striking the 
Virginia Central Railroad, three trains ot cars, two locomo- 
tives, and some prisoners fell into our hands. Several hun- 
dred stand of arms, and supplies for Lee's army, to the 
value of several millions of dollars, were included in the 
spoils. Wliat the troops could dispose of was distributed 
among them, and the balance, together with the station and 



— 12 

cars, burned. The railroad was torn up in both directions 
from the station, and we bivouacked for the niijcht in the imme- 
diate vicinity. Several times during the night attacks were 
made upon us, but they were met in such a manner as to 
discourage a long continuance. 

Earl}-, the morning of the loth, we were on the move 
again, with flankers out upon both sides. The country 
passed over was, for the most part, well cultivated, ditched 
and fenced. The fields and houses had apparently, thus far, 
escaped the ravages of war. The flankers had instructions 
to take from the places along the route such grain and pro- 
visions as they might chance upon, which were needed tbr 
subsistence, but to commit no depredations. How they 
"chanced" upon stores, which even the proprietors as- 
sumed to know nothing about, is a mystery which one may 
not understand, even though he had charge of the flankers 
on the right of one brigade. It is astonishing what a wide 
latitude the needs of human subsistence extend over. The 
camp fires that night, just beyond the South Anna River, 
revealed that they comprehended, at least, biscuit, corn 
bread, ham, mutton, various kinds of poultry, butter, hone}', 
preserves, and dried fruits. 

About daylight, upon the morning of the iith, in hot 
iiaste, we deployed, dismounted, as skirmishers, into the 
woods on our left, to repel an attack. The enemy, however, 
seemed to be satisfied upon finding where we were, and drew 
ofl' after tiring a few shots. Tlie onward march was then re- 
sumed in a leisurely manner, along the Virginia Cehtral Rail- 
road, which had been torn up by the 2d Division (Gregg's), 
which now had the advance. It was a lovely day ; the air 
was mild ; the country charming, and we thought it was a 
holiday-time we were having as we rode easily along, the 
most common topic of discourse being General Phil. Sheri- 
dan, who had been assigned to the cavalry corps but a short 
time previous to its starting out upon the campaign. It was 
the unanimous opinion that he had, at least, demonstrated 
one thin<r — that he knew how to march a cavalr\' force with- 



out exhausting it. He had ah-eady won the hearts of the 
command by his simple, easy, unostentatious demeanor. 
His special fitness, above all others, to be a cavalry leader 
was not at that time known, but we were nearing the field 
where was first established his title to the designation of 
"Cavalry " Sheridan. The head of the column had reached 
the junction of the Telegraph Road with the Brock Pike, near 
Yellow Tavern, when a rapid and well-directed fire was 
opened up by a rebel battery, posted on a hill to the left. 
General J. E, B. Stuart, with his Confederate Cavalr}' Corps, 
had thrown down the gage of battle, and it was promptly 
taken up. He was upon his chosen ground, well sheltered, 
with every advantage of position. In the action which fol- 
lowed, our whole corps was engaged, and every point within 
our lines was under fire. 

Here, again, even more than in the wilderness, we were 
fighting an unseen enem}'. We could hear and feel, but not 
see him. The rebel line was stretched from the pike along a 
range of hills skirted by woods, circling around and crossing 
the Telegraph Road. The pike and railroad, along w^hich 
we had been moving, ran over nearly level, or only slightly 
rolling, ground, and, but for a scrubby growth of bushes to 
the left of the railroad, which afforded some concealment, 
was entirely open to the enemy's view. Our line was formed 
with the 2d Division (Gregg's) upon the right; the ist Divi- 
sion (Torbert's) in the center, and the 3d Division (Wilson's) 
upon the left. Skirmishers were thrown out, followed by 
lines of mounted and dismounted men, who pushed across to 
the woods and secured a lodgement. From the offensive, the 
foe was compelled to assume the defensive. No time was 
given him to arrange his squadrons for assault. It was an 
enlivening spectacle to behold, in all directions over the field, 
regiments, or brigades, upon the trot or gallop, in columns of 
fours, companies, squadrons, or battalions, with batteries gal- 
loping into position, and here and there reserves drawn up in 
line as straight and motionless as stone walls. All this was 
observed while the ist Brigade of the ist Division was 



■ — 14 — 

moving up, under a brisk artillery fire, to engage in close 
combat. Passing by a long line of Confederate prisoners, 
and over ground strewn with the wrecks of battery wagons, 
dead men and horses, evidencing hot and effective work on 
the part of the 2d (Merritt's) and 3d (Devin's) brigades, we 
struck the cover of the woods. Into these the 5th and. 6th 
Michigan regiments were sent dismounted ; the 7th was 
formed in line of battle, facing the woods, while the ist regi- 
ment was formed in column of squadrons, fronting to the right. 
This latter was a full regiment of one thousand men, having 
recently veteranized and returned with ranks filled. The 
woods formed a reversed J, behind the lower short arm of 
which the two regiments were sheltered. At the upper end 
of the J, upon high ground, at the edge of the timber, was a 
Confederate battery of artillery, which had got the range of 
our position, and was sending in its shots with most anno3'ing 
accuracy. Placing himself at the head of the ist Michigan, 
General Custer led it in a charge against the battery. As the 
squadrons wheeled to the left, around the angle of the woods, 
at the gallop, they preserved their alignment perfect, and 
with lusty cheers, launched out upon the charge over a sur- 
face broken by ravines, but open to the clean sweep of the 
enemy's guns. Fieixel}' roared the battery ; never were 
pieces served with more celerity. Solid shot and shells, 
grape and canister tore through the ranks, making gaps, but 
the column never paused or faltered for an instant. The 
cheers swelled into a shout of triumph. The rebel guns are 
limbered up and away the}' go on the run ; but two are over- 
taken_, and captured, together with two limbers filled wath 
ammunition, and manv prisoners. What, however, was of 
more importance, was the fact that this brilliantly-executed 
movement had secured an eminence commanding the rebel 
position, and practically settled the issue of the battle. Its 
success would hardly have been possible had it not been for 
the vigorous attacks of the 5th and 6th Michigan regiments 
dismounted in the woods, the 2d and 3d brigades, and the 
rest of the troops all along the line, giving the enemy full 



— 15 — 

employment and preventing him from instituting a counter- 
movement, to render nugatory the effect of the charge. And 
herein was first manifested the special military genius of Gen- 
eral Sheridan, which was, having his forces well in hand, to 
strike the foe ''tooth and nail," "horse, foot and dragoons," 
put him on the defensive, force him back, and when once 
started, keeping him going, hitting him blow upon blow as 
long as within reach. 

The yth Michigan, in column of fours, upon the trot, fol- 
lowed in the wake of the ist regiment. As the former regi- 
ment passed along, a house, situated about one hundred yards 
to its right, burst into flames, ignited by the enemy's shells. 
The occupants, consisting of women and children, who had 
probably been hiding in the cellar for securit}', rushed out in 
a state of the most frenzied terror. Their frantic cries and 
actions were most pitiable. They were certainly brought to 
a full realization of the horrors of war. A wall of fire was 
behind them, a trampling mass of cavalry in front, while 
deadly missiles were flying all around. Some compassionate 
souls galloped out from our column and shouted to them, that 
a ravine near by afforded the most secure retreat ; but this was 
all, in the way of succor, the exigencies of the occasion per- 
mitted. They w^ere probably too crazed to heed the kindly 
suggestions offered. They were lost to view in the onward 
movement, but they hold a place in memor}^ as one of the 
most striking features of that da3''s memorable engagement. 

General Custer was upon the summit of the hill, from 
which he had dislodged the Confederate battery, his graceful 
figure erect in the saddle, and his face flashing with the glow 
imparted by participation in the successful charge but just 
concluded. With outstretched arm he pointed with his sabre 
toward a road at the base of the hill, and said, "Major 
Granger, charge that road ,with your 7th Michigan." In- 
stantly rang out the Major's command, '''' Froiit rank, sabres ! 
Rear rank, pistoi.s I Fours forward, trot, march ! gal- 
lop ! ! CHARGE ! ! ! " Down the hill, across the brook, and 
up the road, into the woods, like a thunderbolt, went the col- 



— i6 — 

urnn. Almost continuous discharges were blazed out from 
the enemy's carbines, smoke and dust enveloped all in a 
cloud, and horses and riders were blended. A barricade and 
obstructions, in the road, were lightly leaped, and the enemy, 
behind them, sent scurrying back in the hottest haste. Into the 
fugitives crowd the pursuers, and the dull thud of sabres de- 
scending upon hapless heads could be heard, amid the rattle 
of carbines and the cracking of pistols. But, just as the head 
of the column was well over the barricade, a junior major, 
from the rear, shouted an order to ''Right abont^ wheel," 
which order was heard, and obeyed, by all but about twenty- 
five (25) men, who followed in the lead of the senior major 
commanding. Back went the regiment, while the squad in 
front kept right on in its career. Now the clatter of hoofs, the 
clangor of slung carbines, empt}' scabbards and mess utensils, 
the shouts, oaths and imprecations of the rushing horsemen 
have grown faint. The carbines no longer speak in volleys, 
but singly, at intervals, and the crack of the pistol has ceased 
to be lively. The gallant Granger, as well as many another 
brave man, has fallen, and will ride no more to battle, while 
the survivors of the squad have been engulfed, swallowed up 
in the Confederate cavalry of the Arm}^ of Northern Virginia. 
Here and there one may be seen subject to the hostile demon- 
strations of numbers of opponents. Surrounded and hedged 
in, isolated from each other, all hope of escape cut oft, sub- 
mission was made b}' each one, singlv, to peremptor}' de- 
mands of surrender, only, in several instances, to be shot 
down or cut down by new comers, constantly arriving upon 
the scene. Back, along the route of the charge, lay strewn, 
promiscuously, dead and wounded Federals and Confederates 
— the latter preponderating. Plunderers were already busy 
among the former. What, however, is entitled to the greatest 
prominence in connection with the spirited dash under de- 
scription, was the fall of General J. E.B. Stuart, Confederate 
Chief of Cavalry, mortally wounded. 

Besides the retreating column directly in our front, which 
was hurled back from the barricade, the Confederates were in 



— 17 — 

force in the woods immediately to the left of our line of 
charge. Apparently, about one hundred feet from the road, 
and a few hundred feet to the rear of the barricade, was a 
Confederate battle-flag, with a number of horsemen grouped 
about it. From this quarter we received a galling fire, and 
we returned it with our revolvers. The ground rose consider- 
ably toward the left, making objects in this direction, during 
rifts in the dust and smoke, more conspicuous. General Stuart 
was near that battle-flag, and there he received his death 
wound. Shortly after the charge had ended, a Confederate 
soldier came galloping up through the woods, spreading the 
intelligence that General Stuart was shot. In answer to an 
inquiry if it were true, an aide upon the General's staff" — to 
whose notice we had only a few minutes before been intro- 
duced — replied, "Yes, d — n you, and we ought to kill every 
one of you." In response to the question, as to where the Gen- 
eral was when shot, he pointed with his hand in the direction 
of the battle-flag, and said, "Right down there in the woods." 
Pollard, in his '■-Lost Cause,'' erroneously gives the date of 
the action of Yellow Tavern as May lo, 1864, instead of the 
nth, and sa3^s that Stuart fell while leading a column in a 
desperate charge. There was a Confederate column of fours 
behind the barricade in the road, which gave way before the 
assault of the 7th Michigan, and through which those in the 
front of that regiment charged. It is not at all improbable that 
General Stuart had formed this column with the design of 
leading it out to the charge, in the endeavor to regain the posi- 
tion from which Custer had dislodged his artillery. He must 
have realized that, unless he could again occupy and hold 
that summit, the day was lost to him. The onslaught of the 
7th Michigan, and the renewed activity of the dismounted 
forces in the woods, nipped any such project in the bud, and 
the fall of General Stuart just at that time put it at rest for- 
ever. There was not a single charge of a Confederate col- 
umn that day, certainly not within the observation of those 
who belonged to the ist brigade. 

In obedience to the directions of the oflicer of the rebel 



provost-guard, our Pegasus was dismounted, and the march on 
Richmond was resumed, only it would he more appropriate to 
call it a rush. Our batteries had opened a very rapid and un- 
comfortable fire, and our guard of honor became concerned 
for our safety. "Run, Yanks," was the exhortation, "for if 
you uns shoot we uns, we uns'll shoot you uns.'' Eight 
prisoners, wounded and lame, and weary, struck out at their 
level best, but neither they nor the provost-guard, could make 
head against the demoralized cavalry and artillery that fled, 
terror-stricken, from the shot of our guns. We narrowly es- 
caped being trampled to death, so we got out of the way of 
the fugitives, and in the rear of a wagon train. In the midst 
of a drenching rain, in the darkness of the night, we floun- 
dered through the Virginia clay toward the Confederate capi- 
tal. Although it was only about ten miles distant, such was 
the activity of our cavalry, and such detours were necessary 
to avoid them, that an almost steady march of two nights and 
days was required to reach it. 



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